WHERE WAS GOD IN ALL THIS?
You have just been told the devastating news that your child has been sexually abused, and whichever way you have been told the news you will probably be feeling like it is choking you and your world has just come to a full stop. This question will probably be one of the main questions that is tormenting you.
How can a supposedly loving God allow my innocent child to go through anything so evil?
Firstly we need to realise that God is not the cause for this suffering. This sickening behaviour is a direct result of sin.
We are given the opportunity to choose between right and wrong, good and evil. Sadly, man often makes the wrong choice and God’s principles are ignored.
For instance: Through the ages, millions of people have died in wars. Wars begin due to man’s pride and lust for power (James 4:1-3 ). Hunger has brought suffering to millions of people, yet men store food in one country while other people are starving in another. Men are responsible for this by their greed and not God. Illegal drugs sweep through the world with dreadful consequences for millions. Again this in not God, this is man. We live in a violent age. Where old ladies are attacked, children are abused, and teenagers are murdered and prisoners are tortured. We must acknowledge that man plays a big part in causing suffering due to Satan’s influence.
If God had forcibly prevented man from sinning, man would not have free choice to follow God, and God does not want robots, as without free choice love is impossible.
God does identify personally with our suffering, Matthew 25:31-46 says when we are kind to the least of his brethren then we being kind to Jesus, so then, the opposite must also be true. God personally suffered as he watched Jesus die. When Saul (who later became Paul after he became a Christian) was on the road to Damascus, wanting to murder more Christians there, Jesus called to him saying “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ME?” Acts 9:4 Jesus did not say, why are you persecuting my people? But He said ME! It hurts him, Jesus hurts when we suffer.
BUT... God promises that: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 and God also promises that He will turn all things for good:And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28.
What I have discovered during our ordeal is that Jesus didn’t desert our children when they were going through the abuse. Instead He held their hand and cried with them. He also gave them the courage to speak out and He provided the children with people who would look after them and love them no matter what.
